As I begin writing this review, I am compelled to be honest in the interest of full disclosure that I'm a huge fan of John Grisham's work. His legal thrillers are always captivating, educational, and engrossing. I began reading The Widow with high hopes that Grisham would wow me like he'd done in the past. Instead, I trudged along, almost forcing myself at times to finish this novel.
Simon Latch is a small-town lawyer who mainly drafts wills or oversees bankruptcy cases. His fledgling practice is about as strong as his marriage, which is on its final leg. Ultimately, Simon's life is not going well personally or professionally. As Simon struggles to keep his practice afloat, a godsend walks through the door. Eleanor Barnett, a wealthy widow, asks Simon to draft a will to protect her substantial assets. Simon sees dollar signs and a way to climb out of the financial hole he's been in far too long.
Simon, convinced there will be a large payday at the end of the day, begins a close relationship with this older woman. He takes her to her favorite restaurants, assists her with her other legal issues, and also looks after her after she's involved in a devastating accident (she caused- nonetheless). Simon does all this without receiving a dime, and foolishly, without verifying the widow, Barnett, was actually worth the millions she purported to be.
And in the blink of an eye, Simon's back where he started. Only now, the death of Eleanor Barnett brings with it an accusation of murder. Simon fights for what's left of his life and his good name as he's indicted for murder.
Let's begin with the good.
John Grisham is masterful at creating characters the reader cares about. Although Simon has his flaws, no one reading The Widow would wish this turn of events on Simon. Sure, he's flawed and greedy, but he's just a man trying to make it through life the best way he can. Fully fleshing out Simon is why I forced myself to finish this novel.
To be clear- I didn't lose interest in The Widow for any reason other than Grisham is longwinded.
That brings me to my bad.
I've always loved Grisham novels and have appreciated how detailed he is, especially with the courtroom scenes, and various tidbits of legalese he inserts. The Widow felt like a lot of fluff before getting into the meat of things. I'm not sure where I got the idea that this work was going to be a fast paced, mystery, thriller, but I felt... bored at times.
Sorry Grisham!!!! I absolutely love your work and will definitely read more. But I must admit, I was bored with this read. Even the courtroom scenes were lacking any substantial climax. Maybe I wanted it to be like other novels where someone says something clever like "now imagine that girl was white"...
I don't know.
Anyway, John Grisham's The Widow will not go down as a favorite for me but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Grisham introduced me to characters who were real. Grisham manages to put the reader smack dab in the middle of the life of a small-town lawyer who got a little too greedy... and... well, you'll just have to read it for yourself.
Copy provided by Doubleday Books via Netgalley
***
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